Willimantic Police: School Van Driver Charged With DUI

Catherine Caron, 52, was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and risk of injury to a minor after she allegedly drove a school van while drunk and crashed.

Catherine Caron, 52, was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and risk of injury to a minor after she allegedly drove a school van while drunk and crashed. (Courtesy of Willimantic Police Department)

WILLMANTIC — A school bus driver was charged with driving while under the influence Thursday in the wake of a September school van crash in which four children were injured.

Catherine Caron, 52, Devotion Road in Scotland, also was charged with possession of a controlled substance and risk of injury to a minor, police said. She posted $10,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Danielson Nov. 14.

The crash happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 10 near 90 Quarry St. It involved an EASTCONN van; EASTCONN provides transportation for schools throughout northeastern Connecticut.

The students, who ranged in age from 8 to 15, suffered bumps and bruises, officials said. They were taken to Windham Hospital as a precaution, EASTCONN spokeswoman Teddie Sleight said at the time.

They were headed to three schools in Windham: Natchaug Elementary School, Windham Middle School and Windham High School, she said.

"Society expects and demands that adults charged with the care and welfare of our children fulfill that obligation responsibly. We were very fortunate in this incident that the results were not tragic," Corporal S. Francis Parizo, Jr. said.

An internal investigation was conducted after the accident and Caron was dismissed, EASTCONN said in a statement Thursday. She had been had been in good standing with EASTCONN for 10 years, the statement said.